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Cover: Pyotr Iliyich Tchaikovsky – All-Night Vigil · Sacred Choral Works

Pyotr Iliyich Tchaikovsky

All-Night Vigil

Sacred Choral Works

Latvian Radio Choir
Sigvards Klava, conductor

ODE 1352-2 · CD · May 2020

Buy / listen

Track listing

18 tracks · 52:50

Listen to samples on selected tracks.

Peter Tchaikovsky

  1. All-Night Vigil, Op. 52 (1881), An Essay in Harmonizing liturgical chants 41:55
  2. 1 Bless the Lord, O My Soul | Blagoslovi, dushe moya, Ghospoda 6:48
  3. 2 Kathisma: Blessed is the Man | Kafizma: Blazhen muzh 3:20
  4. 3 Lord, I Call | Ghospodi, vozzvah 0:58
  5. 4 Gladsome Light | Svete tihiy 2:25
  6. 5 Rejoice, O Virgin | Bogoroditse Devo 0:44
  7. 6 The Lord is God | Bog Ghospod 1:02
  8. 7 Praise the Name of the Lord | Hvalite imia Ghospodne 4:00
  9. 8 Blessed Art Thou, O Lord | Blagosloven yesi, Ghospodi 4:29
  10. 9 From My Youth | Ot yunosti moyeya 1:42
  11. 10 Having Beheld the Resurrection of Christ | Voskreseniye Hristovo videvshe 2:14
  12. 11 Common Katavasia: I Shall Open My Lips | Katavasiya raidovaya: Otverzu usta moya 5:17
  13. 12 Theotokion: Thou Art Most Blessed | Bogorodichen: Preblagoslovenna yesi 1:21
  14. 13 The Great Doxology | Velikoye slavosloviye 6:40
  15. 14 To Thee, the Victorious Leader | Vzbrannoy voyevode 0:55
  16. 15 Hymn in Honour of Saints Cyril and Methodius (1885) 2:44
  17. 16 A Legend, Op. 54 No. 5 (1883) 3:12
  18. 17 Jurists? Song (1885) 2:02
  19. 18 The Angel Cried Out (1887) 2:57

About this recording

This album presents a sequel for the award-winning album (ICMA Choral disc of the year) of Tchaikovsky’s sacred choral works by the Latvian Radio Choir and conductor Sigvards Kļava. These two albums together form the composer’s complete sacred works for the choir.

The All-Night Vigil Op. 52 for mixed choir, also known as the Vesper Service, was written between May 1881 and March 1882. It was first performed by the Chudovsky Chorus conducted by Pyotr Sakharov in Moscow at the concert hall of the All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition on 27 June 1882. Tchaikovsky described the work as ‘An essay in harmonisation of liturgical chants’. For this work the composer carefully studied the tradition of musical practice in the Russian Orthodox Church, which could vary considerably from one region to another. This beautiful, yet rarely recorded work is accompanied by four other choral works all written during the same decade: Hymn in Honour of Saints Cyril and Methodius as part of commemorations of the 1000th anniversary of the death of Saint Methodius, A Legend, originally coming from the collection Sixteen Songs for Children, Jurists’ Song, for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Imperial School of Jurisprudence in St Petersburg, and The Angel Cried Out, a beautiful traditional Russian Orthodox Easter hymn and Tchaikovsky’s final choral work.

The Latvian Radio Choir (LRC) ranks among the top professional chamber choirs in Europe and its refined taste for musical material, fineness of expression and vocal of unbelievably immense compass have charted it as a noted brand on the world map. The repertoire of LRC ranges from the Renaissance music to the most sophisticated scores by modern composers; and it could be described as a sound laboratory – the singers explore their skills by turning to the mysteries of traditional singing, as well as to the art of quartertone and overtone singing and other sound production techniques. The choir has established a new understanding of the possibilities of a human voice; one could also say that the choir is the creator of a new choral paradigm: every singer is a distinct individual with his or her own vocal signature and roles in performances.

Sigvards Kļava is one of the most outstanding Latvian conductors, also a professor of conducting and producer, music director of the Latvian Radio Choir since 1992. As a result of Sigvards Klava’s steady efforts, the Latvian Radio Choir has become an internationally recognized, vocally distinctive collective, where each singer possesses a creative individuality. Under Sigvards’ guidance, the choir has recorded a number of choral works by little known or completely forgotten composers of the past, as well as formed a friendly collaboration with a number of notable Latvian composers. Sigvards Klava is a professor at the Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music. Klava is a multiple winner of the Latvian Great Music Award.

Features

Sleeve notes in English. Lyrics in Russian transliteration and in English translation.

The artists

Latvian Radio Choir

The Latvian Radio Choir is a full-time professional chamber choir founded in 1940. Chief Conductor Sigvards Kļava and Conductor Kaspars Putniņš have led the choir since 1992. The ensemble's repertoire ranges from the Renaissance to the present day, with a primary focus on exploring the capabilities of the human voice and seeking to extend its limits. A major part of the repertoire is dedicated to contemporary music and composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. The choir is also open to creative experiments and often participates in dramatic performances and multimedia projects. The ensemble regularly commissions works from leading Latvian composers such as Pēteris Vasks and Ēriks Ešenvalds.

Full biography

Sigvards Klava

Sigvards Kļava began working with the Latvian Radio Choir in 1987 and was appointed its Chief Conductor and Artistic Director in 1992. As one of Latvia's most prolific choral conductors, Sigvards Kļava has collaborated with every leading choir and orchestra in the country, performing the great works of the standard repertoire in addition to conducting most premieres of new choral works by Latvian composers. He has recorded numerous albums with the Latvian Radio Choir. Sigvards Kļava has also been Chief Conductor at a number of Latvian and Nordic song festivals. He is a co-founder of the Latvian New Music Festival ARENA and serves as a member of its artistic board. He teaches young conductors at the Choral Department of the Latvian Academy of Music and the Choral College of the Riga Lutheran Cathedral. Sigvards Kļava appears as a guest conductor with leading European choirs. He has received the Latvian Great Music Award and the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers Award.

Full biography

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